SEC Hoops - Bama vs South Car.

The SEC has always been known as a football conference, but few people realize the talent level of SEC squads on the hardwood as well.

Most SEC teams have very good athletes and explosive players, which makes for exciting, up-tempo games as well as a lot of upsets in the SEC Tournament, which has produced Cinderella teams in the past.

Both Alabama and South Carolina have the talent to be one of those teams, but each struggled through disappointing regular seasons for the most part and will now look to make their mark in the tournament and salvage their seasons.

Alabama Crimson Tide (16-14 SU, 12-13-2 ATS) vs. South Carolina Gamecocks (15-15, 10-17 ATS)

1 p.m. ET, Channel 213 XM on Sirius Satellite Radio

Betting line: Alabama is the favorite at -2 ½ spread.

Both teams went just 6-10 in SEC play, capping off mediocre years. But both teams managed to average more points than they gave up on the year with Alabama boasting a four-point scoring differential to South Carolina's 1-point difference.

That disparity is a big reason why the Crimson Tide are a slight NCAA basketball betting favorite today in the SEC Tournament.

Both teams are equally poor on the road or at neutral sites, but Alabama scored a solid win over then-no.15 Michigan back at the Old Spice Classic and they also beat South Carolina on the road this season in their only meeting.

Guard Devan Downey could be the x-factor in this one for SCAR with his 22+ ppg scoring average, but Alabama is the better team all-around and the much better defensive team by 7 points.

If Downey gets hot, Alabama could be in trouble, but with the defensive options the Tide has to throw at him, they should be able to contain him and cover the betting spread in this tournament game.

It won't be easy, but Alabama will find a way to grind this one out and bring home a win both SU and against the spread before moving onto the next round.

Alabama has more athletes on defense and a better front line all around plus they seem like a more well-coached and stable team heading into this one, something that's huge come tournament time in the frenetic, wild SEC Tournament.

Alabama may be known as a football school but they have just enough talent on the hardwood to make a run and it should start today with a win over the Gamecocks on a neutral court.

College basketball pick: Alabama (-2 ½).